Ariens Snow Blower

Ariens offers seven different lines of snowblowers ranging from compact models to single stage gas snow blowers to deluxe home models to professional snow throwers. Their snowblowers range from 5 horsepower to a whopping 13 horsepower and can create paths ranging from 20 inches to 36 inches wide. Many Ariens snowblowers feature hard warmers in the handles and adjustable skid shoes that allow safe operation on gravel driveways.

Ariens’ History

Ariens was founded in 1933 by Henry Ariens and his three sons. Their first focus was developing the first American-made rotary tiller. They soon followed on with a multi-row tiller capable of cultivating 4-16 rows at a time. The company expanded into manufacturing cement mixers, tractors, and riding lawnmowers throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1960, Ariens introduced its most popular product, the Sno-Thro® snow blower. The product moved from initial design to production in eight months and was an immediate success. By the 1970s, Ariens was producing more than 100,000 snow blowers every year. The company sold its 2 millionth Sno-Thro in 2005.

In addition to the Ariens brand, Ariens also owns Gravely, National Mower, Locke, EverRide, and GreatDane (all focused on lawn care) as well as parts companies Stens and Bynorm.

Special Features of Ariens Snowblowers

Many Ariens snowblowers include several special features including the Disc-O-Matic™ drive system, traction control or remote locking axle, and Quick Turn Chute rotation.

The Disc-O-Matic drive system ensures smooth transitions between any of the six forward or two reverse speeds typically supported on Ariens snowblowers.

Traction control permits power to be transferred to either wheel independently or to both wheels simultaneously as needed, which makes turning much easier. The traction control system can be disengaged using a trigger on the left handle of the blower. When disabled, both wheels of the snowblower are locked into synchronous movement with the axle. This increases traction and makes dealing with deep snow or ice easier.

The remote locking axle available on some deluxe models performs the same task as the traction control system but only provides power to the right wheel when not in synchronous mode.

Quick Turn Chute rotation controls the direction of the snow chute using a standard switch without cranking. The chute starts to turn when the lever is hit and stops and locks into place when the user lets go of the switch. Compact models still use cranks to turn their chute, but the entire range of motion can be achieved in just 2.5 turns of the crank.

Customer Experiences

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Wisconsin has received ten complaints about Ariens in the past three years across all of its product lines. All ten complaints were either resolved or closed because the BBB considered offers Ariens made to customers good faith attempts at resolution even though those customers were still unhappy. Ariens has an A+ rating, the highest given by the consumer organization.

Ariens Warranty

Ariens offers homeowners a 3 year limited warranty on its snow throwers (professional and commercial products come with a 1 year limited warranty). The warranty covers defective parts only and the first recourse is repair at an authorized Ariens dealer. In addition, the auger on single stage snowblowers comes with a separate lifetime warranty (tied to the original owner). The Ariens warranty is complex and includes many exclusions, so be sure to read the warranty information carefully before purchase.